The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Bk. 3 Pt. 2 eBook

Therefore, O auspicious lady, I wish to sleep, for
I have not the power to stand.” Hearing
these words, Savitri quickly advancing, approached
her husband, and sat down upon the ground, placing
his head upon her lap. And that helpless lady,
thinking of Narada’s words, began to calculate
the (appointed) division of the day, the hour, and
the moment. The next moment she saw a person clad
in red attire with his head decked with a diadem.
And his body was of large proportions and effulgent
as the Sun. And he was of a darkish hue, had red
eyes, carried a noose in his hand, and was dreadful
to behold. And he was standing beside Satyavan
and was steadfastly gazing at him. And seeing
him, Savitri gently placed her husband’s head
on the ground, and rising suddenly, with a trembling
heart, spake these words in distressful accents, “Seeing
this thy superhuman form, I take thee to be a deity.
If thou will tell me, O chief of the gods, who thou
art and what also thou intendst to do!” Thereat,
Yama replied, “O Savitri, thou art ever devoted
to thy husband, and thou art also endued with ascetic
merit. It is for this reason that I hold converse
with thee. Do thou, O auspicious one, know me
for Yama. This thy lord Satyavan, the son of a
king, hath his days run out. I shall, therefore,
take him away binding him in this noose. Know
this to be my errand!” At these words Savitri
said, “I had heard that thy emissaries come
to take away mortals, O worshipful one! Why then,
O lord, hast thou come in person?"’

“Markandeya continued, ’Thus addressed
by her, the illustrious lord of Pitris, with
a view to oblige her, began to unfold to her truly
all about his intentions. And Yama said, “This
prince is endued with virtues and beauty of person,
and is a sea of accomplishments. He deserveth
not to be borne away by my emissaries. Therefore
is it that I have come personally.” Saying
this, Yama by main force pulled out of the body of
Satyavan, a person of the measure of the thumb, bound
in noose and completely under subjection. And
when Satyavan’s life had thus been taken out,
the body, deprived of breath, and shorn of lustre,
and destitute of motion, became unsightly to behold.
And binding Satyavan’s vital essence, Yama proceeded
in a southerly direction. Thereupon, with heart
overwhelmed in grief, the exalted Savitri, ever devoted
to her lord and crowned with success in respect of
her vows, began to follow Yama. And at this,
Yama said, “Desist, O Savitri! Go back,
and perform the funeral obsequies of thy lord!
Thou art freed from all thy obligations to thy lord.
Thou hast come as far as it is possible to come.”
Savitri replied, “Whither my husband is being
carried, or whither he goeth of his own accord, I
will follow him thither. This is the eternal
custom. By virtue of my asceticism, of my regard
for my superiors, of my affection for my lord, of
my observance of vows, as well as of thy favour, my
course is unimpeded. It hath been declared by